Alex Smith has a believer in Patrick Mahomes

Alex Smith faces a long and uncertain road as he recovers from surgery and fractures to both his tibia and fibula.

He will need the support from everyone around him, and has already received it from some interesting places.

Patrick Mahomes replaced Smith in Kansas City and is on his way to leading the Chiefs to a top playoff seed in the AFC. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said he has already been in touch with Smith.

“I have talked to him. He’s in good spirits," Mahomes said of Smith. "He’s got the holiday season coming up and he has his kids, so I know he’s in good spirits about making a comeback.

"I know with his mentality that he will."

Mahomes spent a year behind Smith on the bench, and shared a position room with him throughout the 2017 season. Rather than pushing the rookie away, Smith went out of his way to prepare Mahomes for his eventual role at the helm. That made an impact on Mahomes, who counts him as a friend.

Even with Mahomes' confidence, Smith faces a long road back. Regardless, it's good to know that he's looking forward to the long road back.